Uh Oh! Is Egyptian Flu Catching?

SOURCE: Elaine Dunbar (inunyabus@gmail.com) SUBHEAD: All US Ambassadors recalled back to Washington for an unprecedented event - a "QDDR". Compiled from circulated email 10 February 2011 -

   
Image above: U.S. Ambassadors to European countries gathered in Brussels in 2010. From (http://thehague.usembassy.gov/news/events/events-2010/october-1---ambassador-hartog-levin-in-brussels.html).

We received the following thoughts on the widely-circulated story alleging ALL US Ambassadors were recalled to DC for a conference from a retired career member of the US Dept of State...

Jeff - Whoever sent this to you is right on one point at least: It has never happened before. When State has a Chiefs of Mission conference, it normally tends to do it on a regional basis. What I am reading in the story below is a conference of the chief officers of every diplomatic and consular post.

They are not all Ambassadors, however. Ambassadors have Embassies; Consuls General have Consulates General; and Consuls have Consulates. The goal of such a meeting, if it actually occurs, would be to brief all chief officers of our overseas posts simultaneously about some truly critical issue; so critical that something may be expected to happen in the area of any of those posts that affects the safety and security of the post and the people in it, along with the vital interests of the United States.

The global overseas senior management cut would be ambassadors and consuls general. That is a plausible cut, even recognizing that in some countries we have more than one consul general ( 5 in Canada, 2 in Brazil as examples). It could be that the rebellion in Cairo is seen to be peculiarly contageous, and might unsettle any diplomatic post. In such an eventuality, the goal would be to put everyone on the alert at the same level of sensitivity and give each the same precisely stated policy guidance.

How to act in the event of another Tahrir Square gathering in some other country could be the subject. That can all be done, of course, with a properly stated and prioritized telegram. Getting all those troops together is both expensive and disruptive. Interesting. (Name withheld)

Here now, is the original story circulated this week: Monday, February 7, 2011... "All Ambassadors Called Back to Washington" Sunday, February 06, 2011 2:21 "U.S. Ambassadors of the world called back to Washington" In an unprecedented move, apparently one that has never happened before, nearly all U.S. Ambassadors to all nations have been called back to Washington for a summit conference this week. Some sources were reporting on story on 31 January 2011. "Clinton calls for historic meeting with ambassadors" (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0111/48471.html)

"Ambassadors from almost all 260 U.S. embassies, consulates and other posts in more than 180 countries are expected to convene at the State Department for what's being billed as the first meeting of its kind."

"Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is convening an unprecedented mass meeting of U.S. ambassadors" (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/31/clinton-ambassador-meeting_n_816146.html) The first logical thought that comes to mind looking back at all previous world crisis, what might now be so important, evidently more-so than anything ever in the past, to call all ambassadors back to Washington? The sky's the limit with ideas and conspiracy.

• To get all their stories 'straight' ahead of time for something.
• To prearrange settling the debt score between nations prior to a new world currency roll-out.
• A dollar currency devaluation.
• China is calling in our debt
• New severely damaging Wikileaks about to be released.
• Afraid of electronic communication leaks of something very important to discuss ?

While the main stream and most Americans are involved with the SuperBowl at the moment, hardly any reporting on the event can be found. Fine time to do something 'under the radar'. Could this actually be simply a 'first time' of such a gathering to discuss 'normal' business? At first instinct, suspicion is aroused. The 'official' explanation from the U.S. State Dept. is something named the first Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review or QDDR (http://www.state.gov/s/dmr/qddr/). Stay tuned. .